Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1887-05-19
FARM NOTES.
Effects of mbreeding.

duct an experiment. Place with Them
Il pure-bred Plymouth Rock cock, amt
the chicks will become uniform and so
near like Plymouth Rocks that it will
be difficult to distinguish them from
pure-bred. TO continue the expert
ment, the next season use a cock of the
last seasons production, with pullets of
the same blood. That is, keep one of
the half-bred Plymouth Rocks and
mate him with few of the half-bred
pullets. The result will be that chicks
Matched from the eggs laid by the half
bred pullets will revert to their grand
dams, and instead of being uniform,
like the cross from the pure Plymouth
Rock. will come of all colors. shapes
and sizes (when larger. by inbreeding
the uniformity is destroyed, because
the parents are not pure-bred. Hence,
always use pure bred male in the
flock, no matter of what breed it may
be, and your. chicks will be not only
uniform, but Superior to those of the
previous season. The same rule applies
to the breeding of cattle, sheep, and to
all domestic animals.
Spring Farm Cleaning.
When the wife cleans the house, let
husband clean the farm. If vegetable
matter is left about the yard, its rapid
decay during the damp, warm weather
of spring and summer, will poison the
air and affect the health of the family.
If left about the barn, lots and fields, ii
will have like influence on the farm
animals. Hogs are doubly liable to be
injured, for they not only breathe the
fouled air. but nest in such litter
Farm cleaning will save loss from di'
sease. The litter has great value as 4
fertilizer when properly applied. The
intelligent use of this manure ensures
better crops, and the farm is capable
of more thorough cultivation. And
then how much appearances are i'm
proved. Make bonfire of pieces OF
wood, brush, stumps, etc, not fit fol
fuel, and give the charcoal to the swine
and the ashes to the fruit trees. Re
member the work is not complete un
til those stumps and stones are remov
ed which can be taken out with q rea
sonable amount of labor; until the
trees about the house and the orchard
are pruned: until the old growth is tax
EN- from raspberries, gooseberries, cur
rants, etc.; until the "underbrush' is
cleared out of the wood-lot; in short
until the farm is clean and neat. Con
veniently enough, nearly all, or all o.
this work, can be done before tn,
spring blowing is begun.
| Bees or no Bees.
"Shall keep Bees 2" is question
that every young farmer, or other per
son outside of cities, may properly ash
himself. There are vast quantities o
nectar going to waste in both wild anC
cultivated plants. Shall he attempt tt
save a share of it? The answer to thi
should largely depend upon whether
he likes honey. If fond of honey, h,
will give to his bees the attention the,
require. If indifferent to this form o
sweetness, his Bookkeeping is not likell
to be successful, unless the hope of pro
tit by the sale of honey may stimulate
to giving the needful care. The labO
required is if one is in doubt as t.
whether he shall keep bees, he should
procure one of the several standard
works OH the subject, and study it, L
he has tastes of a naturalist, he will SCI
that a new and most interesting field i:
presented, and that honey and wax are
not the only returns the bees make tC
those who observe them properly. Al
experienced apiarists advise beginning
on q small scale. The care of single
colony and its increase, the first year
will give all the instruction needed tt
qualify one to conduct larger apiary
There are probably few. if any local.
ties in this country that are overstock
ed with bees, and the cultivation o.
honey plants has become necessary fol
the sake of their nectar alone.
Good Crops without Rain.
The so-called luck element apparent
ly entered into Iowa farming more the
past year than at any time i'll its his
tory. When, after weeks of dry wealth
er, the needed rain put in an appear
ance, IL came sin streaks." Sometimes
it would only touch part of one man:
farm, and half mile from there tn,
whole township received a copious sup
ply. Here is case i'll point that came
under the writer's observation. Neal
kirkman, i'll this state, a farmer had Il
sell his farm on account of debts fol
machines, interest OH mortgage, etc
The buyer put in about l40 acres OF
corn, leaving only 2Oiacres for pasture
etc. Sunshine and rain" in just the
right proportion, gave him crop av
eraging sixty-five bushels to the acre
which, selling at twenty-five cents
brought him the money of his invest
ment, leaving the farm as his profit.
1t was satisfactorily demonstrated
last season, that good crops can be rails
ed OH Iowa soil without drop of rail-
from seed time to harvest, and it is al
most safe to say, dry season here Il
the preferable one for small grain
Last year was the first time that thu
threshing machines "got left" OH tn,
measure. \ farmer living near Ma
rengo brought load of oats that mea
sured forty-three bushels from the ma
chimes, but weighed (thirty-thre,
pounds to the busheD sixty-six bushel.
and twenty pounds. The writer wa
an eyewitness to the above measure
ment. We may not have another dry
time for years, but it is well to remem
Der these things. Smith, of Iowa.
Beware of
Corn doctors who don't extricat
corns.
Ear doctors who advertise sure cur
for deafness.
Lotteries Of all descriptions, whicl
are delusion and a snare.
Lawyers who volunteer their service
from charitable motives
Land schemes in Florida and else
where which give "homes" away.
The lightning-rod man who is Willing
to take your notes for work performed
Ciyiale remedial agencies. which ar
generally advertised through the pa
pers.
Bohemian oats, whose manipulation
are extending their operations i'm va
rious directions.
English sterling cutlery, which is ad
vertised by bogus companies ut Yer